Monday, November 22 2010

Barber is associate professor of History at Portland State University and director of the Center for Columbia River History.

“Katrine Barber is an outstanding scholar of Pacific Northwest history, especially Indian/white relationships,” said Adam Sowards, University of Idaho associate professor of history and director of the Institute for Pacific Northwest Studies.

“Katrine has a knack for telling the personal stories about those who made the Northwest home without losing sight of the larger national issues in which they participated," he said. "This lecture promises to balance those stories and illuminate our region’s multicultural past. We are fortunate to host her.”

Barber will present, “Living History: Examining the Pacific Northwest through the Lives & Work of Two Twentieth Century Women,” at 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 30 in the university's Idaho Commons Whitewater Room, 875 S. Line St. in Moscow. The presentation is free and open to the public.

McKeown was born in Astoria, Ore., in 1903, to a family who traversed the Oregon Trail and participated in the nation-building of the American West. As an adult resident of Hood River, McKeown fought for the rights of her Native neighbors in local chapters of national organizations, and as a writer and educator.

Singer was born in 1916 at Fruitland, Wash., and traces her genealogy to Scottish and French employees of the Hudson Bay Company and to indigenous Quinault and Chinook people. Both she and her mother worked for Chinook Tribe.

“The lives of both women allow for the examination of several strands in Indian-white relations in the 20th century Pacific Northwest, including federal recognition, the ongoing struggle for access to traditional resources, and ethnic/racial and regional identity,” said Barber.

Barber completed a book, entitled "Death of Celilo Falls," a history of the struggle over The Dalles Dam and Celilo Village in Northwest Oregon. In it, she examines negotiations and controversies surrounding the planning and construction of The Dalles dam, and the dam’s profound impacts.

Barber’s work offers a sensitive and insightful account of Native peoples’ experience.

In addition to her research, Barber teaches Oregon history, history of the Pacific Northwest, and public history courses at Portland State. She holds master’s and doctorate degrees in American Studies from Washington State University. Barber joined the Center for Columbia River History as a fellow in January 1999 and became its director in 2006.

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About the University of Idaho
Founded in 1889, the University of Idaho is the state’s land-grant institution and its principal graduate education and research university, bringing insight and innovation to the state, the nation and the world. University researchers attract nearly $100 million in research grants and contracts each year. The University of Idaho is the only institution in the state to earn the prestigious Carnegie Foundation classification for high research activity. The student population of 12,302 includes first-generation college students and ethnically diverse scholars, who select from more than 130 degree options in the colleges of Agricultural and Life Sciences; Art and Architecture; Business and Economics; Education; Engineering; Law; Letters, Arts and Social Sciences; Natural Resources; and Science. The university also is charged with the statewide mission for medical education through the WWAMI program. The university combines the strength of a large university with the intimacy of small learning communities and focuses on helping students to succeed and become leaders. It is home to the Vandals, the 2009 Roady’s Humanitarian Bowl champions. For more information, visit www.uidaho.edu.

About the University of Idaho
The University of Idaho helps students to succeed and become leaders. Its land-grant mission furthers innovative scholarly and creative research to grow Idaho's economy and serve a statewide community. From its main campus in Moscow, Idaho, to 70 research and academic locations statewide, U-Idaho emphasizes real-world application as part of its student experience. U-Idaho combines the strength of a large university with the intimacy of small learning communities. It is home to the Vandals. For information, visit www.uidaho.edu.